Plenty of Pieces
by HarryPotter'sgirl17
Summary: Ranma Saotome swore that he would never fall in love with Akane Tendo, so what is she doing invading his thoughts? A newcomer starts to train at the dojo, but there's more to her than meets the eye, as Ryoga is to find out!
1. Unfamiliar Female

My first Anime Fic! I love you all!

**Chapter 1: Unfamiliar Female**

Ranma was laying on his bed, thinking of, surprisingly, Akane. He had been thinking of her a lot lately and a lot more than he'd care to admit. Ever since he kissed her at the school play...

Ranma shook his head angrily, _That was** not** a kiss! It doesn't count if you use duct tape!_

His self-berating was interrupted by a stream of freezing water being poured on him from above. He was pretty sure he knew who it was holding the kettle.

"Come on, Ranma!" chuckled a wizened old man, holding up a pink brassiere, "Put this on for a little photo shoot!"

"No way, you disgusting old lecher!" Ranma yelled, 'her' voice higher now that he was a 'she', "I'll never wear that thing! Forget it!"

"Well, we're going to have to change your mind, now won't we?" Hopposai cackled as he dropped into the star postion.

Their fight was postponed by a knock on the dojo's door and Kasumi's bright voice answering with a, "Coming!"

Both of their ears were straining as they heard a soft voice inquiring, "Is this the Tendo School Of Anything Goes Martial Arts?"

"Yes, of course," Kasumi replied helpfully, "How may we help you?"

"Is it true that Genma Saotome and his son train here to?"

_Not another fiancée! _Ranma thought angrily, recognizing the voice as female and reminded of the other time his pop sold him for some fish and pickles to some old coot that had caused him enough hell for a lifetime. _Not a chance!_

Pounding down the stairs with the old lecher at his heels, Ranma caught the last part of the new arrival's sentence; "...to train under Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo."

Ranma came to an abrupt stop, causing Hopposai to run into him.

_She wants to train under Akane's pop and the old man? _Ranma ignored Hopposai muttering about 'unfeeling young people' _Why would **anyone **in their right mind wanna **do** that?_

Kasumi had let the girl in, so Ranma could finally get to see her; but, before he could get a good look, Hopposai went sailing by with his usual cry of, "Pretty lady!"

The girl was ready; dropping her suitcase as Hopposai came near. Just as he was about to grab her, she landed a fist atop his head.

As Hopposai hit the floor, Ranma saw that the girl had the same kind of red hair he did now that he was female, wore the same kind of dress the girls at his school did, had Akane's build and a pleasant smile.

Over Hopposai's cries, the girl stated, "Hello, my name is Bikutoria, but you can call me Toria. Are you Kasumi or Akane?"

"I'm Kasumi," Kasumi smiled, used to people flying around, "I'll show you to your room."

"Thank you." Bikutoria bowed and followed Kasumi up the stairs.

Upon reaching Ranma, Bikutoria bowed again, "Hello, I'm not sure if you heard me earlier, but I'm Bikutoria. Are you Akane?"

"No, I'm Ranma."

"But I thought Ranma Saotome was supposed to be a boy?"

_Shit..._Ranma had forgotten that he was a girl for a moment, "Cursed spring."

"The one in China?"

"Yeah..." Ranma was surprised, "How do you know that?"

Bikutoria smiled, "My brother and I trained there once and I nearly turned into a dog!"

Ranma laughed, "That'd be better than turning into girl, that's for sure!"

The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees, "What's wrong with being a girl?"

"Nothing," Ranma was quick to point out, "If you aren't a guy to begin with."

They had reached the room Bikutoria would be staying in, "You have a point. Well, I'm going to rest now. Thanks, Saotome."

Ranma grinned, "Saotome's pop. Call me Ranma."

"Only if you call me Toria."

"Deal."

Toria smiled, and went into her room.

It wasn't until Ranma was halfway down the stair that he realized he had an entire conversation with a _girl _and felt completely at ease.


	2. Welcome to the Dojo!

Hello Again, here's Chapter Two!

Disclaimer: Ranma is one of the things I wish belonged to me but doesn't.

_Italics_ are thoughts.

**Bold** are memories.

**Chapter Two: Welcome to the Dojo!**

Bikutoria didn't show her face again until dinner was ready and Kasumi brought her down to be introduced to everyone.

"Hello, everyone," Bikutoria smiled, "It is my wish to train here and I thank you for making me feel welcome. I hope we can all be friends and, if you choose, please call me Toria."

Finished with her speech, Bikutoria helped Kasumi set out dinner.

Genma and Soun were thrilled to have another student, even if it was a girl, Nabiki showed her usual enthusiasm while Akane remained silent, reserving judgment.

It was funny, but when Bikutoria said she had come there to train, Akane felt a small spurt of relief. For a moment, she was scared the girl was another fiancée and she would try to take Ranma away.

Wait a minute, what was the matter with her? Didn't she _hate_ Ranma Saotome?

'_Why is that a bad thing?'_ Akane thought, watching Bikutoria take a seat and start chatting with Ranma, _'When did I start caring if Ranma stays or goes? When did I **care**?'_

Akane racked her brain, trying to figure out when Ranma's presence was a comfort instead of a pain. When did all these feelings start; when did thinking of Ranma present this warmth in her chest?

Then it hit her, she could pinpoint the exact day she started caring. At the school play Romeo and Juliet. When he found out how much it meant to her that they make it a good play. When he was ready to kiss _Kano_ to get the cure for his curse and a hundred other reasons she couldn't count. Something else poked at her brain, trying to be remembered, something he had said;

**'Ranma, do you hate me that much?'**

**'Nah, if I did, this'd be easy.'**

'_Did he really have feelings for me then?'_ Akane's fists, unseen under the table, clenched tightly_ 'Is that why he was so mad I tricked him with the duct tape? Or was he just mad at me for tricking him outright?'_

"Hey, Akane," Nabiki stated, taking another helping of tororo soba, "You don't seem to care that a girl is being so chummy with your fiancée." 1

"He's not my fiancé and I could care less!" It was an automatic response, but at Nabiki's words, Akane glanced over to see Bikutoria playfully punch Ranma's arm for stealing all the rice she had. Her heart clenched.

_'It seems pointless now, but I-'_

Akane's self realization came to a halt as Hopposai, who had been surprisingly quiet, leapt into Bikutoria's lap and landed on her chest, squeezing.

Before anyone could utter a sentence, much less blink, Hopposai had flown through the dojo wall, sailed like a kite, and landed in the pool outside with a soft _splash._

There was a stunned silence, as everyone tried to comprehend what happened.

Ranma looked up at Toria, who was glaring death rays out the hole she made; amazed that someone so tiny could be so lethal. Or so quick.

'_Well, maybe not. Just look at Akane and her wooden mallets. And why is she sitting there, looking at me with such a mournful expression on her face? Did I do something wrong?'_

Before Ranma could ask Akane what the problem was, Hopposai surfaced, gasping and choking.

"Hey! What's the big id-?"

"Don't," Toria snarled, cutting him off, "Ever. Do that. Again."

With that, she left the dining room and headed upstairs. A few minutes later, they heard the sound of a door slamming shut and a lock clicking into place.

Nobody said anything for a few minutes, each absorbed in his or her own thoughts. Then...

"Nice going, little man," Nabiki supplied, setting down her food to watch the show.

Hopposai leapt back into the dojo, via the hole he made sailing out, muttering, "Disrespect, that's all I get. I was _welcoming _her and I get tossed out through a _wall_! Do you have any idea how much that _hurts_?"

"There's nothing disrespectful about _that_, lecher," Ranma countered, pointing to the hole in front of him, "I would've done the same thing in her place. You gotta learn how to keep from jumping into girl's laps or you're going to be thrown a lot more these days."

"Why you ungrateful little-!"

"Do you think I should bring her up some food?"

Ranma and Hopposai where, once again, stopped before they started, as they both looked at Kasumi, who was glancing worriedly after Bikutoria.

"She didn't to eat that much, so...?"

"Yes, that sounds like a great idea!" Hopposai agreed, puffing out his small chest, "Why don't _I_ go and-?"

"NO!" yelled the table at large.

Hopposai sat down, grumbling, "No gratitude, no thanks. Just rude, ungrateful-"

"I'm pretty sure she's fine, Kasumi," Ranma interjected, for Kasumi still looked worried, "She told me she wasn't used to eating a lot. She trains more than she eats."

"That's for sure," Genma exclaimed, "The girl's a twig!"

Kasumi sat back down, still looking worried.

"Don't worry, Kasumi," Soun patted his eldest daughter on the head, "I'm sure if she gets hungry, she'll come knocking at your door to see if there is any tororo soba left!" 1

"Or some of your delicious onigiri!" Genma cried, stuffing three in his mouth at once. 2

Kasumi smiled and seemed to be put at ease, as she sat and started on her own food.

"I guess we all can relax now," Akane smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Everyone agreed and began to finish their food.

"So, Akane," Hopposai grinned, as he bounded over to her, "Would _you_ mind if I sat in _your_ lap?"

Dinner was uneventful after that, except that Hopposai went sailing through the wall again.

"Looks like we're going to have to call the repairman again," Nabiki yawned, as Hopposai landed in the lake for the second time that night, "That girl's already got a bill and she hasn't been here a day."

Akane watched as Ranma started yelling at Hopposai, who had leapt out of the lake again, for probably the twentieth time that day. She sighed at the familiar sight.

_'I do care, I care a lot'_

1. Tororo Soba: Grated yam noodles

2. Onigiri: Various vegetables wrapped in rice


	3. Bikutoria Meets PChan

**Chapter Three: Bikutoria Meets PChan**

Ranma spent a sleepless night tossing and turning, stuck in the same kind of dream he had after Kuno told the 'girl' Ranma that he loved her. Only this time it involved Akane and Bikutoria...

_He was walking down the halls of Furinkan High school , bathed in the eerie glow that told him it was a dream, when he heard someone call his name._

_"Ranma!"_

_Turning, he saw Akane Tendo running toward him, wearing the light blue school uniform as she waved and smiled. He was about to ask her if she wanted some okonomiyaki when someone else called his name._

_"Ranma!"_

_Turning the other way, Ranma saw Bikutoria walking toward him, also smiling and waving, yet he didn't feel his usual unease when two girls were running toward him, the usual worry that the whole thing would turn into some kind of fight._

_Instead, he felt calm and happy... for the first time in a long while. They headed off together, chatting and laughing about how their days had gone..._

He awoke every time confused as to why he felt so peaceful with those two; most of the time Akane was **fighting** with him and Bikutoria only had been there for a** day**, so he couldn't exactly trust her yet.

Leaping off his futon, Ranma headed to the training hall to try to work off the frustration he felt, as well as how he felt about Bikutoria and Akane. Maybe letting her stay wasn't such a good idea...

However, when he entered the dojo, he saw that he wasn't the only one who was having trouble sleeping; on opposite sides of the dojo, both Akane and Bikutoria were each doing her own versions of training: Akane, breaking cement blocks with her fist and Bikutoria, doing various fighting forms of kenpo.

In the midst of a roundhouse kick, Bikutoria caught sight of Ranma. "Hey, did we wake you?"

"Huh?" Akane looked up and caught sight of Ranma as well, "Oh, hello Ranma. What are you doing here?"

"Apparently I had the same idea you guys did," Ranma replied, moving to the center of the dojo and stretching. "Could you two not sleep as well?"

"No," Akane replied, sitting down next to her stack of blocks. "When I got here, Bikutoria was just starting to work out."

"Yeah, and the weird thing is, it seemed like Akane and I had the same dream and the same thing that was bothering us," Bikutoria supplied, sitting down as well as Ranma followed her example.

"Really??" Ranma looked from one to the other, surprised that Bikutoria was already affecting a member of his family.

His family...?

"We were walking down the school halls- Ranma! Are you even listening??" Akane snapped, but Ranma was too wrapped up in his thoughts to placate her.

He had been living in the Tendo Dojo for three years and it had become his home after the first one. He already thought of Kasumi and Nibiki as his sisters and Soun as a sort of uncle. Happosai was a kind of perverted Grandpa and Akane was...

Gazing at Akane, Ranma tried to understand what his heart and his head were telling him; she wasn't like a sister and she wasn't just his friend, she was somehow something beyond the two. What was she?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Akane growled, two spots of pink growing on her cheeks and letting Ranma know he had been staring at her for too long.

"Oh, um..." Ranma was felt his own face getting warm as he became aware of Bikutoria watching them, head resting on her hands, a small smile on her face. "I was-"

A high pitched squeal cut off Ranma's attempt at an explanation and thankfully spared him from making an even bigger fool of himself.

----------

Bikutoria thought it was **extremely** funny that Ranma and Akane were having **such** a hard time being nice to each other and was about to save them from further embarrassment when Ranma was cut off by a high squeal and a little black pig wearing a leopard spotted bandanna leapt into her lap.

"Oh, how cute!" Bikutoria cried, picking up the piglet and getting Ranma and Akane's attention as she petted his head.

"P-chan!" Akane cried, holding out her arms for the little piglet to jump into as Ranma, strangely, gave it a dirty look. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Yeah, where have you been **this** time, **P-chan**?" Ranma drawled, causing P-chan to let out an angry growl. "Hiroshima? Fujino?? Or maybe China? Probably not, or you wouldn't still be such an ugly little piglet-"

"Ranma! Leave P-chan alone!" After giving Ranma a sharp jab to the head, Akane turned and began introducing the new arrival to Bikutoria.

"Bikutoria, this is P-chan. "P" for pig, "chan" for little." Akane laughed as Bikutoria reached out and shook the piglet's hoof. "P-chan, this is Bikutoria."

"Who prefers to be called "Toria", but no one seems to listen," Bikutoria told the pig, and, when it seemed like he oinked in response, she continued: "I see I'm going to have to do something to make sure they remember to call me by my nickname..."

"That sounds like a challenge! I'm in on that!" Ranma laughed, leaping to his feet and striking a fighting pose as Akane also stood.

"Careful, Ranma," Akane warned, her voice dropping a few degrees. "We don't know how strong she is. Don't lower your guard or you might end up with another fiancée!"

"Another?" Bikutoria repeated, turning in Akane's direction and momentarily forgetting about the match in light of this new development. "I'd like to hear this story..."

"H-hey!" Ranma stammered, his face growing red again. Apparently, the idea of all those fiancées made him embarrassed, "Are we going to fight or not?"

"Are you going to pull your punches?" Bikutoria demanded, as she too, took a fighting stance and waited for Akane to move out of the way. "I want this to be a **real** fight!!"

"Wait!" Akane cried, throwing up her arms, forgetting that she still was holding P-chan. Thankfully, especially in P-chan's mind, Bikutoria was able to catch him before he made it to the floor.

"For what?" Ranma groaned, eager to start the match and to see how strong the newest trainee of the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts was.

"What the outcome will be if you lose!" Akane snapped, stabbing Ranma in the chest with her finger. "You might like to earn another fiancée, but it's getting old for me!"

"Are you saying you'll think I'll **lose**??" Ranma seemed outraged that Akane would even, for a moment consider that. "Heh, maybe I'll get rid of my un-cute, blockhead of a fiancée, then!"

"Ranma Saotome, you are a complete idiot!!" To Bikutoria's surprise, and Ranma's misfortune, Akane slapped him across the face before bursting into tears and fleeing from the training hall, P-chan behind her, squealing angrily.

Ranma turned to Bikutoria, who was looking at the scratches on her hands from when P-chan wiggled out of them, and asked, "What was that all about?"

"I think she was hoping that you would reassure her that you would win and not insult her," Bikutoria looked up, showing Ranma a disappointed and upset expression that immediately made him feel ashamed, "I thought you were going to, as well."

"Well, I wasn't-" But whatever Ranma was, or wasn't, Bikutoria never found out; for, out of nowhere, a dark-haired boy wearing a familiar leopard spotted bandanna dove at Ranma from the entrance with a battle cry.

"Prepare to die, Ranma Saotome!"

---------

Ryoga dove at Ranma, ready to make him pay for every tear Akane shed, but the cheating bastard leapt out of the way and made him tumble into the girl 'P-chan' had met moments before.

"Ranma! Warn me the next time you're going to move!" Bikutoria sighed, untangling herself from Ryoga's legs. "I thought you were going to parry his hit, not scurry from it!"

"He won't dodge from this one!" Ryoga cried, leaping at Ranma again, throughly enraged that he wouldn't hold still like a man and take the beating he deserved.

"Wait, you guys! You're going to wake everyone up!" Ryoga was barely aware of Bikutoria's warnings, his only intentions were beating the living hell out of Ranma and showing Akane what a waste he was.

Ranma, however, wasn't co-operating and kept dodging his attacks as if he could read his mind and see what he was going to do. This was infuriating Ryoga so badly that his swings were getting wilder and wilder...

"You need to stop! Don't- ugh!"

Ryoga gasped, unable to believe what he just did: So intent was she on making sure that they didn't wake anyone, Bikutoria had dropped her guard and, as Ranma jumped out of the way, one of Ryoga's punches had landed... right in her midsection.

Bikutoria dropped to her knees, gasping and choking as Ryoga stood in shook, unable to comprehend that he just hit an innocent bystander, not to mention that she was a **girl**!

"Ryoga, you idiot!" Ranma's voice seemed to be coming from the end of a long tunnel, "You were supposed to be fighting **me**, not **her**!"

He was scum, lowest of the low, not even worthy of Akane's affection now. Not now that he had viciously attacked an innocent woman, probably leaving a bruise that wouldn't heal for days. Not now, now that he had taken his stupid obsession with Ranma so far that he didn't care for the safety of others.

"_Ryoga, why?" Her eyes were dewy with tears, tears __**he**__ caused, and they sparkled like sapphires as she looked at him, trying to understand. "Why did you attack me? I was only trying to help..."_

_He dropped down beside her, abjectly ashamed. "Please forgive me, Bikutoria, I am so sorry..."_

_"Of course I'll forgive you, Ryoga. It was all Ranma's fault anyway..."_

"What?" Ryoga came to Earth to see Bikutoria, dewy eyed like he imagined, looking at him with a mixture of surprise and fear, "How do you know my name?"

Had he said the words out loud? Bikutoria's question stated that he did, but how was he going to explain how he knew it without revealing his curse?!? He shot a pleading look at Ranma, but the idiot just shrugged. No help there...

"Ryoga?" She was getting up, one hand still on her stomach, eyes still on his face. "Ranma said that was your name, right?"

"R-right."

Her fear was turning to anger now. "Are you going to answer me or not? How did you know my name, Ryoga? Have you been spying on me?"

"N-no!" Ryoga's throat constricted and he found it hard to swallow as Bikutoria pinned him with a suspicious gaze.

"Well, it's a funny story..."

----------

Ranma frowned as Bikutoria and Ryoga swiveled around to face him and Ryoga gave him a look of desperation.

"She's going to find out sooner or later, Ryoga. She's not as dense as Akane and she's been looking at your bandanna more than once, so she would've figured it out on her own, anyway."

Ryoga's hand flew to his bandanna, the only article of clothing he kept when transforming, and bunched his fist around it before closing his eyes.

"Very well, Ranma. We'll tell her the story of my deepest shame and how I came to inhabit this tortured body-"

"Ryoga turns into Akane's pet pig, P-chan." There was a sudden thud and when Ranma looked toward it, he noticed that Ryoga had fallen to the floor.

"I said 'we'd tell her', not 'Ranma, you tell her'!" Ryoga pushed himself to his feet and grabbed the front of Ranma's gi in a death grip. "You've completely left out the part were this is entirely **your fault**!"

"Nobody told you to follow me into China!" Ranma countered, freeing himself as he twisted Ryoga into a Snake Lock.

"That was because you skipped out on our fight, Ranma! You broke a man-to-man promise!"

"**You** didn't show up for **three days**, Ryoga! If anybody skipped out, it was you! You and your lousy sense of direction!"

"So... Ryoga fell into the Jusenkyo?"

Pausing in the act of popping out Ryoga's shoulder, Ranma looked up to Bikutoria watching them with a completely bewildered expression.

"Well, that's it in a nutshell." Ranma said, dropping Ryoga to the floor and crossing his arms, ready for any kind of outburst or hysterics Bikutoria was sure to show.

"That's **it**? Why didn't you just say so?"

Except for that.

"You mean, you don't mind?" Ryoga was looking up at Bikutoria as if she was his own personal savior, "It doesn't bother you that I'm that-that-"

"Cute little pig?" Bikutoria smiled, which completely baffled Ranma. Akane reaction to his transformation was a whole lot more violent... then again, he had seen her naked at the time. "Of course I don't mind! It's not as if you're turning into something horrible, like a cat."

"Wait," Ranma suddenly found this conversation a whole lot more interesting. Ignoring the fact that Ryoga was crying on the floor next to him, Ranma dropped into a more comfortable position. "You don't like cats?"

"It's not that I don't like them," Bikutoria also moved into a position that was less painful. "It's more like I have an abject fear of them."

"Wait! Your last name was Ryuoki, right?!?" Ranma snapped his fingers, another mystery solved. "My Pop got that Cat-Fu book from your Pop! Don't tell me...?"

"Almost two weeks before you showed up," Bikutoria responded sadly, stroking the still-crying Ryoga's head."He tried to warn your father, but he was so excited to have found the ancient Cat-Fu, he didn't listen."

_Geez, thanks, Pop! Now I'm really mad at you about that Cat-Fu garbage! _Ranma could feel his anger rising and he needed some kind of outlet... "How long are you going to keep crying, Ryoga?"

"I... finally..." Ryoga sobbed, gazing at Bikutoria with a kind of look that Ranma had never even seen him give **Akane**, "Let... someone know... She didn't... treat me... like... a freak... Bikutoria!"

With that last word, Ryoga had launched himself at Bikutoria; but, much to Bikutoria's surprise, Ranma realized what he was about to do and knocked him out with a mallet to the head.

"I think we should let you recover from having your gut busted before Ryoga crushes your ribs with one of his hugs," Ranma replied to Bikutoria's bewildered look as he dragged Ryoga to a corner of the training hall.

"Sounds like a plan," Bikutoria giggled, covering Ryoga with a spare gi. "That should keep him pretty warm."

----------

Akane lay in her bed, wishing to all the stars in the sky that Ranma Saotome would disappear from her life... no, that he had never even entered her life! Stupid, stupid Ranma!

Burrowing farther under her blankets, Akane sullenly wished further evils upon the head of Ranma Saotome while all the time she prayed she'd be able to understand him one day.

It was either that or go crazy.

Twisting to her other side, Akane wondered what it was that made her go nuts whenever another girl got all love-y when Ranma was around. Other than the fact that he always protected her from Kuno and made sure that she wasn't sprayed with the Cursed Duck Jusenkyo water when Mousse brought it to the carnival, that he made sure she didn't see anyone other than him when she swallowed that love pill, that he admitted to worrying about her...

After spending the next few minutes tossing and turning, and only ending up in a tangled mess, Akane gave up, untwisted herself, and headed down to the training hall to see if Ranma and Bikutoria were still up.

_What if they __**are**__ still up, but completely happy with the fact that you're not there??_

Akane froze in the living room, her heart tightening as a vivid picture of Ranma and Bikutoria, wrapped in each other's arms, floated across her mind. Cursing Ranma and the tears that the picture brought up, Akane headed back to her room.

But what if they're waiting for you to come back? What if they **want** you to come back?

The thought made her pause, half in the living room doorway, before an ugly retort pushed it aside.

_Not them, they just want to be with each other!_

They just met! How could they develop feelings so fast?

_It didn't take you that long to._

Trying to figure out which part of her brain to listen to, Akane almost didn't hear the whispered conversation taking place just feet away from her.

"Do you think anyone is up?" Bikutoria's voice was muffled slightly, as if she had her hands in front of her mouth to hold back her giggles.

"Nah, everybody's probably snoozing by now," Ranma replied, stopping mere inches from where Akane stood; she could literally reach out and touch him, if she wanted.

A few of the giggles slipped through as Bikutoria leaned forward to whisper, "Heaven forbid they think we're doing something **naughty**!"

"With my luck, they probably think the worse possible thing of me, that I probably forced you into it and Akane would-"

Akane bit off a gasp of surprise as Bikutoria leaned even closer, trying to see Ranma's face in the dark. "What? What would Akane do?"

Ranma turned his face away and, if the night wasn't so dark, Akane would've sworn he was blushing. "Nothing, it's not important."

Bikutoria seemed to be reading Akane's thoughts as she pressed the question. "If it wasn't important, why did you pick her out of everyone here?"

Akane held her breath and Bikutoria stared at Ranma as he worked his jaw, apparently once more at a loss for words. He chewed air for a few more minutes before Bikutoria's face curved in a smile of satisfaction.

"That's what I thought," With that, she turned and made her way to the guest room, leaving Ranma alone in the living room... or so he believed.

"How am I supposed to know why I picked that un-cute, brick-built tomboy out of ever-"

When Ranma woke the next morning, all he would remember of what happened next was an unholy shriek and a figure rising of the shadows like a hell demon.

That and a head full of pain.


	4. Meet the Ladies!

**Chapter Four: Meet the Ladies! Enter Xian Chu and Kodachi!**

Ranma awoke the next day with a monster headache and a lump the size of a golf ball, wishing to all the stars and saints that he had seen who had hit him and not just an almost positive guess that Akane had something to do with it. Knowing his luck, he was probably right.

Grumbling irritably and rubbing his head, Ranma made his way down to the living room and breakfast, hoping this day would go better than the way his night went.

Yet, being Ranma Saotome, no sooner had he set foot in the hallway, than a pot full of freezing cold water was poured upon his head and he was reverted into his female half, Happosai perched on top of his head with a lacy pink bra being dangled in front of his eyes.

"Time for a little photo shoot, Ranma!"

Insert mental sigh.

Just as he was about to rip the little lecher off his head, Ranma was suddenly under a burning stream of water, there was a new hole in the upstairs wall and his skull was Happosai-free.

**What the hell...?**

"Good morning, Ranma," Bikutoria greeted cheerfully, grabbing his attention as she waved a kettle-filled hand at him, "Kasumi asked me to inform you that breakfast is ready and that you have fifteen minutes 'til school starts."

So saying, she turned around and made her way down the stairs, leaving a bemused Ranma to stare after her for a few minutes before shrugging and following her into the kitchen.

The whole family was there, minus Happosai and plus Ryoga, eating happily; although the minute Akane noticed that Ranma had entered, her expression immediately turned sour.

**What's her problem now? **Ranma wondered, taking a seat next to Nibiki and Soun, accepting some breakfast from Kasumi at the same time before looking over at Bikutoria, who was dealing with an overzealous Ryoga. **Is it because I came to breakfast with Bikutoria or wha-?**

Ranma's thought process was interrupted by the all too familiar, but no less annoying, cry of "Ranma, darling!" that seemed to reverberate through the entire house before hitting his ears.

_**Groan. **_**I really don't need this today!** Making his way to the door, Ranma was stopped by a hand his shoulder; looking up, he saw that Bikutoria had also risen to her feet and was on her way to the door.

"Wait here," she stated, gently pushing him back down before heading out of the kitchen amid more cries of "My darling Ranma, are you there?". Pausing at the doorway, she turned and winked, "It might be a trap, I'll check it out."

Before another word could be spoken, before Soun or Gemma could utter a counter-point or Ranma sit back down fully, Bikutoria had made it to the front door and opened it.

"My dearest, most darling- Who are _you_, and why hast my Ranma not heeded my call?"

**Gee, maybe it's because I'm tired of you and your brother's constant declarations of love or challenges, depending on what form I'm in. **Ranma sighed, starting slightly when Ryoga prodded him in the shoulder.

"What d'you want, P-chan?"

To his complete surprise, Ryoga didn't bristle at the nickname, or bark at him not to call him that in front of Akane. Instead, he hissed, "Why are you letting Bikutoria answer your calls, you coward?!?"

Ranma was almost instantaneously irate, and didn't bother to hide it. "What the hell is that suppose to mean, you little-!"

"Shush!"

Startled back into sullen silence by Nabiki's sharp whisper, the two boys simply glared evilly at each other as they listened to the conversation going on outside the Tendo-Saotome home.

"...has yet to finish eating his meal, so you may have to wait a few more minutes." Bikutoria finished, her voice light and pleasant, a strange tone for one such as Kodachi, unknowing of the girl beforehand or not. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, miss...?"

"Oh, my poor Ranma! Force to eat such meager cooking!" Kodachi cried dramatically, setting Ranma's teeth on edge as he reminded himself that it was against martial art's code, against a **man's** code, to hit a woman.

"I believe that Kasumi's cooking is far from meager," Bikutoria's voice had taken on a less pleasant tone and Ranma smirked slightly at the deep, ruby blush that completely covered Kasumi's face at Bikutoria's words. She seemed to almost read his mind, and he was glad of it.

"Nothing will do for my Ranma but my cooking, only mine, simply no one else can compare!" Kodachi's voice took on a high pitched fever before her trademark laugh came blasting through the walls again, making Ranma's hair stand on end and causing even **Soun** to wince.

"I'm sure _you_ feel that way, miss" Bikutoria's voice had harden a few more notches and it made Ryoga, Akane and Ranma worriedly raise from their seats. "Yet, I just saw him eating some of Kasumi's 'meager' cooking and it looked like he was enjoying himself immensely."

It seemed Kodachi finally realized that this girl was not going to admit that she was the only gourmet for Ranma, for her next words were as cold as Bikutoria's as she snapped, "And who are you to say how much my darling Ranma enjoyed his breakfast, anyway?!?"

"I'm the newest addition to the Tendo-Saotome household," Bikutoria's voice had a definite note of icy challenge in it and it drove Ryoga, Akane and Ranma to their feet fully and it also made them start hurrying toward the front door, "Bikutoria Ryuoki of the School of-"

But whatever Bikutoria was had been drowned out by an ear-piercing shriek, even more unnerving than Kodachi's laughter. The group made it to the door just in time to see Kodachi on her bottom, pointing one shaking finger at Bikutoria, who looked utterly confused.

"N-new addition? Y-you?" Kodachi's eyes quickly filled with tears as she threw her hands up to cover her face, looking the very picture of a heartbroken maiden, "No! It's not true, this simply cannot be!"

Confusion and anger quickly turned into concern as Bikutoria reached out a hand to Kodachi's quivering form, her voice soft as she asked, "What's wrong, miss? Are you alright? What did I say?"

Lifting her hands up and spotting Ranma in the doorway, Kodachi drew in a dramatic gasp and threw herself in his direction, crying out, "My most beloved Ranma, tell me this isn't true!"

Ranma side-stepped Kodachi's sudden lunge, causing the kimono-wearing gymnast to fall to the ground before grumbling, "Why don't you tell us what is so horrible before you start screeching again?"

"Oh,my darling!" Kodachi ignored the 'request' and began to cling to Ranma's legs, sobbing hysterically and causing Akane to glower angrily at her. "It's because I neglected you, isn't it? It's because I failed in training for my wifely duties-"

"Tell me this isn't her normal personality and that she's on some kind of drug," Bikutoria asked incredulously, also giving Kodachi's prostrate form a look that was less than sympathetic.

Kodachi's cries were soon getting to a pitch that only dogs would hear as Ranma attempted to shake her off his legs. Akane watched them sourly for a minute before answering bitterly, "No, this is normal... for her."

"Ranma!"

"Oh, great. More trouble," Ryoga muttered, drawing Bikutoria's attention as he watched a petite, blue haired Amazon girl leaped over the Tendo-Soun wall and came to a landing right in front of Ranma... and on top of Kodachi.

"Xian Chu so happy to see Ranma!" She cried, unaware or uncaring of the fact that she was standing on Kodachi Kuno's back. "Xian Chu and Great Grandmother make special meal for Ranma. You eat now!"

"You know, it's usually custom to _ask s_omeone to eat your cooking, instead of _demanding _it," Bikutoria giggled, trying to process the sight in front of her. "Also, going through the front door is more common than springing over the wall."

"Not around here..." Ranma muttered, now trying to pull the overzealous girl off from around him, Akane's face seemingly permanently etched into a frown beside him. "Get off of me, Xian Chu!"

Xian Chu, however, would not be deterred from her loving embrace, only holding tighter until two hands grabbed her by the arms and removed her from her limpet grasp of Ranma's form.

"We really need to get back to breakfast, or we'll be late for class. I prefer not to be tardy on my first day of school." Bikutoria seemed to enjoy the look of surprise on Ranma's face as he watched her move the struggling Amazon away with no apparent effort or struggle of her own.

"She's right, Ranma dear," Kasumi called, her face not entirely devoid of the ruby color that dominated it a few moments ago-which caused Ranma to grin again-as she stuck her head around the bamboo frame of the window, "You've only ten minutes until the first bell!"

Swiftly setting Xian Chu down on her feet, causing the girl to slightly wobble before her balance was restored, Bikutoria gave her three new friends a bright smile before asking, "Shall we go, then?"

Ryoga turned his face away from that shiny smile, which caused him to miss the frown that immediately took its place, as Akane quietly explained, "Ryoga doesn't go to school with us. He tried to apply for it once, but Ranma kept bothering him and he couldn't enter..."

"Oh, that's too bad..." The tone Bikutoria had used made Ryoga's head jerk up; she even **looked** as disappointed as she sounded!! Did that mean...? "Well, will we see you afterwards, then, Ryoga?"

Confused by the invitation made out of interest, instead of obligation, it took Ryoga a few moments to understand what was being asked of him. When it finally registered that it was an offering of friendship, Bikutoria couldn't seem to help the giggles she got at the enthusiastic nods she got as an answer.

"Five minutes!" Kasumi called in warning, jumping starting the three teenagers into motion, interrupting the argument that had started-"It's not my fault Ryoga's an idiot!"-and leaving Ryoga in the yard with an unconscious gymnast and a **slightly** irritated Amazon.

Note the sarcasm on 'slightly', this is important later.

-0--0--0--0-

Running toward the school felt nice after the chaos that morning. Ranma glanced down at Bikutoria running beside him as he remembered how easily she had removed Xian Chu from her hold on him and had to ask, "When did you register for school? And why Furinkan High? Why not some private training facility?"

"Well," Bikutoria answered, only panting slightly, "I've been all over the world, training in different types of martial arts, because my brother is always saying 'be always on your guard or your enemy will surprise you' and being surprised in a to-the-death match would be very bad..."

"That's understandable, especially when you're in a match" Akane puffed, running on Bikutoria's other side and marveling at how easily the girl kept up with their frantic pace. It was almost as if she had been doing it her whole life... "But that doesn't answer why you registered for school instead of a training facility."

Nodding at the statement, Bikutoria continued with, "He said that I needed to learn to interact with people, and that it would make it easier for me to figure out how to read people, to see what their next move would be."

"So this is simply another training exercise in his mind? Another way for you to train?" Akane asked bewilderedly, faltering in her steps before Bikutoria righted her a moment later.

"Yes, but I don't mind," Bikutoria sighed softly, with a half-hearted smile that told the pair otherwise, "At least this way I'll be able to make a few friends, I never got to do that before..."

Ranma was about to ask what her parents thought about all of this when the all-too-familiar cry of "Prepare to die, foul sorcerer Saotome!" rang out, signifying that; one; they were near the school buildings and two, that Tatewaki Kuno had spotted them, or more precisely, Ranma.

"How do you get anything done around here?!?" Bikutoria asked Akane incredulously, watching as Ranma dodged Kuno's various attempts to harm him with an almost careless ease. "This is absolute, utter madness!! It's either declarations of love and marriage, or people trying to kill him! Aren't you worried about Ranma's safety at all, Akane?"

"I could care less if he gets hurt! I** hate **him!**" **was the immediate reply, but Bikutoria could tell otherwise as she watched Akane watch Ranma closely and even saw the indeterminable flinch Akane made when one of Kuno's mad lunges missed Ranma's side by mere inches.

"Hold still, impudent fiend!" Kuno cried, his mounting anger causing him to miss more and more, Ranma seemingly simply stepping out of the way. "Take your beating like the dog you are!"

The downward sweep of Kuno's shinai was suddenly halted by an upraised hand and irate voice asking, "What exactly did Ranma do to you that caused such animosity between the two of you?"

Ranma stuttered to a stop as well, his fist raised in a blow of his own and his jaw on the floor. Whether because of the rush of SAT-style vocabulary Bikutoria sprouted that he barely understood, or from the fact that Bikutoria had appeared out of nowhere, it was uncertain; but, one thing was certain and that was Tatewaki Kuno was looking at Bikutoria with an all-too-familiar star-struck expression.

"Uh-oh," was all Akane managed to say to warn the girl before Bikutoria was suddenly enveloped in a suffocating embrace that preluded Kuno's overwhelming cries of love at first sight.

"Oh, you beautiful blooming rosebud of womanhood! Has that incorrigible fool magicked away your affections for himself as well? Never fear! I shall defeat the loathsome sorcerer and once he is vanquished you and I shall go on a triple date with Akane Tendo and my pigtailed goddess!"

"As fun," the word was punctured by a stomp to the foot and Kuno releasing Bikutoria with a cry of pain, "as that sounds." this was a spinning elbow to the chest, "I much rather," roundhouse kick to the face that sent Kuno flying, "get to school before the bell."

Akane had joined Ranma in slack jawed amazement as they watched Bikutoria dust off her hands and turn to them with a smile... with slipped when neither moved from their stunned positions.

"What?"

Moving in a rare moment of synchronization, both simply shook their heads and decided to leave their questions alone for now and made it into the school just in time for the bell to ring.

Bikutoria's introduction to the students of Furinkan High was dealt with as much grace as Ranma's was, only the boys were the ones intrigued and the girls viewing her as a challenge in affections.

It wasn't until lunchtime that Akane and Ranma decided to ask their questions about what happened that morning, but they couldn't seem to find their mysterious new house guest anywhere.

"Bikutoria! Bikutoria!" Akane's calls to the girl grew more and more worried as the lunch hour slowly passed and there was still not a single sign of the newcomer to the dojo. "Where are you?"

"She isn't in any of the classrooms or out buildings," Ranma stated, worried as well as he came running up to from where he had been searching, "Has there been any luck on your end?"

"No, not at-Can you hear that?" Akane asked suddenly, as a high trilling came floating through the air like a birdsong. "What is that? Ranma, can you hear where it's coming from?"

Ranma was already heading toward the sound and threw his answer over his shoulder, "Yeah, I can hear it, it sounds like a flute and I think we found out where Bikutoria went..."

Sure enough, the sound lead them to Bikutoria melancholy playing the instrument in the branches of a tree on the edge of Furinkan's property, stopping when she heard the two approaching.

The apprehensive looks on their faces immediately put the redhead on defensive alert, "What's wrong? Ranma? Akane? Did anything happen?" Bikutoria gracefully leapt out of the tree, pocketing her instrument and running up to met them as they came toward her. "What is it?!?"

"Where have you been?" Akane's voice took on an angry note now that the worry over the girl proved to be unfounded. She was half afraid that Happosai had gotten a hold of her despite the order not to touch her. "Do you have any idea how worried we were about you?"

Ignoring Ranma's mutter of 'You mean, how worried **you **were about her', Bikutoria had the grace to look sheepish as she rubbed a hand along her arm, her words hesitant and unsure. "I'm sorry, Akane, it's just that I've only been around groups of ten, maybe twelve, people when I was training with my brother. That many people... it was a bit overwhelming..."

Ranma, who had trained daily with just his father for years, knew what it was like to suddenly be overwhelmed by the mass of people that gathered in towns and villages. Akane, on the other hand, wasn't as understanding, having lived in Furinkan her whole life but she kept silent as well.

Shaking her head to dispel whatever memory her mind had dragged up, Bikutoria smiled in the way that said she didn't want to talk about what happened. "I guess lunch is almost over. Want to get back to school?"

Wondering at the bizarre conundrum that was Bikutoria Ryuoki, Akane and Ranma followed her back to Furinkan's main building and the rest of the surprisingly peaceful school day.

----0----0----0----0----

_A/N: Wow, what can I say? I honestly forgot I even had this fic until I found it floating around on my computer. To those of you who waited this long; you guys have the endurance of saints and I love you!_


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